Ore. Lawmaker Seeks Protection for Foster Kids Placed in Hotels

Ore. Lawmaker Seeks More Protection for Foster Youth Placed in Hotels

Oregon lawmaker, Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, introduced legislation to add additional oversight for foster kids placed in hotels, asking for the same protections as foster youth placed in homes. According to Oregon Public Broadcasting on Feb. 8, state officials disagreed with the idea; “the head of the state Child Welfare Division argued additional regulations would be too onerous.” Aprille Flint-Gerner, the director of the Child Welfare Division at DHS, told lawmakers: “Currently, many of our service providers see the child-caring agency licensing and regulatory environment to be a barrier as they may not be able to meet the extensive requirements to become licensed … and then remain in compliance.”

Kan. Occupational Licensing Ranking

The 2023 State Occupational Licensing Index ranked Kansas by the number of licensed occupations, focusing on the 331 occupations in the Knee Regulatory Research Center’s licensing database. Kansas establishes minimum entry requirements for 147 of those occupations; six of those occupations require licensure in 20 states or fewer nationally. Kansas, for example, remains one of 10 states to license animal breeders. In the 2023 SOLI, Kansas ranked 51st nationally—with 1^st the most burdensome.

Ore. Offers Alternatives to the State Bar Exam

Members of the Oregon State Bar’s Alternatives to the Exam Task Force appeared on the podcast, Regulatory Matters: a CLEAR Conversation, to talk about OSB’s process to review alternatives to the bar exam, including diploma privilege, supervised practice and an experiential law school option. Jo Perini-Abbott and Addie Smith with OSB shared the approved Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (SPPE). According to the February 13 podcast from the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation, the Oregon Supreme Court recently voted to approve the new pathway to attorney licensure.